Turnpike Widening Project Worries Nearby Cranbury Residents

Cranbury resident Charles Gallagher said that the cacophonous sound in his backyard more than two years ago sounded like war. The noise, which quickly awoke Gallagher from his sleep, was that of a tractor-trailer crashing into the trees near his backyard, when the truck veered off of the New Jersey Turnpike, instantly killing the driver.

With approximately 235 million vehicles travelling the New Jersey Turnpike each year, some of them are coming too close for comfort, according Gallagher and other residents who live on Hightstown-Cranbury Road. 

Back in 2009, the New Jersey Turnpike Authority began an extensive widening project between exit six in Mansfield Township and exit nine in East Brunswick. This effort, according to the Turnpike Authority, is being done to widen the roadway to 12 lanes along with major modifications constructed at four interchanges. However, residents who live on Hightstown-Cranbury Road are getting a close glimpse at the project – a glimpse that they are not happy with.

Between six and eight homes on the road have backyards facing the New Jersey Turnpike, right in the thick of the construction project where trees were taken down to accommodate the work. Some residents say that they are only feet away from the work that is being done on property adjacent to their backyards and they are concerned about safety and noise.

“There’s nothing you can do less than build a wall,” Gallagher said.

According to Gallagher, the Louis Berger Group, which is overseeing the widening project, removed a portion of his garage last week, which is adjacent to the property line and construction area. He claims that he received no notification.

“They are my enemy. They are my sworn enemy. I am at war with the Louis Berger Group and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. I don’t have a problem with the expansion, but have safety concerns for my family,” he said.

Gallagher also said that he feels some areas are getting preferential treatment when it comes to the construction of sound barriers. “We have a problem when you look at the map and you look at who’s getting the walls and who isn’t getting the walls. If you’re affluent you’re getting them. If you’re not affluent you’re not getting them.”

Township Committee members David Cook and Dan Mulligan said at the Township Committee’s Monday meeting that they agree with Gallagher. They have proposed that a sound barrier be constructed along the nearly half-mile stretch of homes on Hightstown-Cranbury Road to create a safety buffer and reduce sound.  

“The Turnpike is becoming extremely close to their homes now due to the widening project,” Mulligan said.

“First off, there are safety concerns because now the lanes of traffic are that much closer to their property, and there are issues in the past where an accident due to a tractor trailer went off of the roadway went into the brush and into the backyard,” Mulligan said. “Now it’s that much closer without some type of barrier so there are a lot of safety concerns. With the wall there it gives it much more protection.”

Cook and Mulligan, who have been out to Hightstown-Cranbury Road to visit with residents, are enlisting the assistance of State Senator Linda Greenstein (D-14) in an effort to urge the New Jersey Turnpike Authority to consider constructing barriers.

Sen. Greenstein, who has also visited Gallagher’s property, said she is in the process of trying to communicate with the Turnpike Authority. She further indicated that there is a concern on her part. “Now the project is practically in his backyard. The fact that the accident occurred underscores the safety issue,” she said.

The Township Committee said it is waiting to hear from Sen. Greenstein to determine the next step in resolving the issue.

The Turnpike Authority did not respond to requests for comment.